


Beauty Weeps the Brave

by katanrock



Series: Meeting Places (Back Here Again) [10]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Gen, god why am I such an angsty teenager, we don't talk about Umbara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 07:21:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katanrock/pseuds/katanrock
Summary: “How are you and your men doing?” Obi-Wan asked, voice neutral, but his worry and anxiety leaking through their bond.Rex didn’t say anything at first. His already stiff posture became even more tense as he clenched his hands into fists.“We’re… coping.” Cal felt horror, and a deep sense of shame at that. What Jedi carelessly wasted the lives of their own men? What Jedi looked down on any lifeform? Cal stared at Rex, his Jaig eyed helmet seeming to glare down onto Cal, accusingly. “But we’ll be back onto our feet soon enough.”Or, Cal tries his best to comfort some of Torrent Company after Umbara.
Series: Meeting Places (Back Here Again) [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639870
Comments: 5
Kudos: 152





	Beauty Weeps the Brave

The shuttle smoothly landed. The doors opened up, and Cal walked out, one step behind his Master.

The color blue speckled the landing pad, and the duo made quick work moving through the men loading equipment. The 501st was still tense, and Cal didn’t blame them. The past couple of days on Umbara were…

Cal didn’t think there was a word that could describe their experience. A careless General who also Fell. A General who sabotaged not only the 501st, but the 212th as well.

Cal shoved the thought away, pushing the sight of Waxer ( _ dead, armor singed, Boil clutching his limp hand as he tried and failed to keep his tears in _ ) away.

“Captain.” 

“Sirs.” Rex saluted him and Obi-Wan, back stiff, bucket firmly placed on his head. His demeanour didn’t change at the sight of two Jedi he worked closely with. 

“How are you and your men doing?” Obi-Wan asked, voice neutral, but his worry and anxiety leaking through their bond. 

Rex didn’t say anything at first. His already stiff posture became even more tense as he clenched his hands into fists.

“We’re… coping.” Cal felt horror, and a deep sense of shame at that. What Jedi carelessly wasted the lives of their own men? What Jedi looked down on any lifeform? Cal stared at Rex, his Jaig eyed helmet seeming to glare down onto Cal, accusingly. “But we’ll be back onto our feet soon enough.” 

Cal left his Master to talk with Rex about where they’re going next, and a personal report from the man. He wandered the factory that the 501st took on their campaign, passing solemn men sticking close together, protective.

Eventually, Cal found the barracks. He glanced in, hesitant, spotting the telltale head tattoo and bun marking Jesse and Tup, sitting closely with Fives and Kix. The group was huddled together, wisps of conversation moving between the clones.

Cal slowly made his way towards the men. As he got closer, he saw Jesse and Kix leaning onto each other, comforting the other. Fives rubbed Tup’s back as the other sat curled up, head tucked between his knees, quietly sniffing as he tried to hide his tears.

“H-hi.” Cal rasped weakly. Fives looked up, and Cal tried to give them a smile, morphing into a grimace at the red-rimmed, puffy look to everyone’s eyes.

“Commander.” Fives gruffed out. Cal flinched at the title. Right now was the worst time to be distancing himself from these men. He silently wished that Ahsoka was here, that Anakin stayed with his men instead of leaving them to Krell.

“J-just Cal.” He replied, shuffling his feet. Seeing his discomfort, Fives nodded his head in acquiescence, and Cal quickly made his way between Kix and Tup, sitting down cross-legged.

For a while, Cal sat there as the other four grieved. Cal heard Rex’s formal report. How Fives, Jesse, and Hardcase took down the Separatist Command ship. How Hardcase died. How Dogma shot and killed Krell after his confession.  _ (Tup stared at the floor with his tear-filled eyes. The last of his batchmates) _ He sat within the circle, and yet felt so far from them. Too distant to provide any real comfort. Any words of condolences stuck between his vocal cords and his mouth. 

Instead, Cal reached a hand over to Tup as the man let out a wet sob, laying it over his head gently, as Cal leaned Tup into his arms, cradling the larger man as he finally let go. Fives shifted over next to Jesse, leaving Cal to comfort Tup, rocking them left and right. Cal felt his tunic beginning to get wet from Tup’s tears, but did nothing.

The group stayed like that for what felt like hours, silent as the day dimmed into dusk, then night. Finally, Cal felt Tup’s sobs turn into hiccups, then sniffles. Eventually, he pulled away, leaving only a wet patch on Cal’s shoulders, wiping the remaining tears and salt from his face. 

Cal stared at the group. They’ve already lost so many brothers. They didn’t deserve to lose anymore.

( _ Cal wondered once again the morality of the war. He was a Jedi, not a soldier. He shouldn’t be fighting for the Republic. And the clones, what choice did they have in all of this?) _

The words finally made their way through his mouth. “I-I’m so sorry.” 

Jesse and Kix both hung their heads. Fives’ eyes became steel. Tup stifled another wave of tears.

_ I’m so, so sorry _ . 

Cal left after that, leaving the clones to their grief. There wasn’t anything Cal could do to comfort them. Not in this. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone. I've been having a not great evening. However, I've been writing a lot more! Apparently I've found a pretty good system of writing in the middle of the night!
> 
> I might write the Citadel arc, but honestly that's too much for me to handle right now, finding how to fit Cal into that complicated mess. 
> 
> As per usual, updating is inconsistent. Don't expect too much from that end. Anywho, comment, leave kudos, whatever! I'll see you guys later.


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